ONBC: One of our discussion questions is about the word "freedom" and its many meanings in the story. Can you expand on that and how you used that theme in your story?

Ann: In the book, different people had different ways of viewing freedom, and measuring it. Ayisha saw it one way, in a very visceral and life-changing way. Once her freedom was gone, she was willing to do anything to get it back. To her it was the most important thing in the world and she was willing to risk her life to regain her freedom, and risk her brother’s life to get him free, too. She made regaining their freedom the focus of her existence, and that held true even after they returned to Kerma.

To Jack, freedom was also the most important thing in the word, but his sense of freedom was intertwined with having a ship and the freedom to sail her where he wanted. He expressed this to Elizabeth Swann when he said, “A ship is more than a hull and a keel and sails. That’s what a ship has. What a ship IS, is freedom.”

Jack had the illusion of being free while he was sailing for the EITC, until Cutler Beckett took that away by forcing him to transport slaves. That’s when he realized that the only way he could truly be free was if he went back to being a pirate.

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -
Wow! What a ride!

Very well said. I agree that freedom to Jack had to be total independence. He thought he was free roaming the sea in the Wicked Wench until he realized that it was not real freedom unless you owned the ship and had complete control of your own destiny. Freedom was certainly the underlying them throughout the book with all the characters.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers

I liked that you made freedom the central theme for most of your characters - especially Jack. It was also evident what was missing in those who didn't realize what freedom meant. It also made us (the readers) think of our own freedom and what it means to each of us.